Adjustable cable fastener for ski binding



Sgpt. 11, 1951 H. JANSEN ADJUSTABLE CABLE FASTENER FOR SKI BINDING Filed Sept.

AVA/EN TU HOWARD JANSEN Patented Sept. 11, 1951 ADJUSTABLE CABLE FASTENER BINDING 3 FOR SKI Howard Jansen, Chicago, Ill. Application September 13, 1946, Serial No. 696,753

4 Claims.

- This invention relates to improvements in ski bindings; and has particular reference to a-novel adjustable heel cable fastening device. I

This invention is particularly concerned with. but not necessarily limited to, ski bindings of the type having some form of releasable clamping means associated with the sole of the ski boot and a resilient cable passing around the heel of the boot to hold the boot firmly engaged in such clamping means and against a toe stop on ski as shown in my prior Patent No. 2,338,249. In such bindings the resilient heel cable holds the ski boot in place to maintain a clamping engagement between the sole of the boot and the ski,

while at the same time permitting a certain latitude of foot movement whereby the heel may be raised in normal walking and skiing movements without allowing the boot to become detached from the ski. In order to remove the ski from'the boot the heel cable must be released and disengaged from the heelto'permit rear-, 'ward movement of the boot on the ski to release the sole clamping means. In putting on the skis this operation is reversed, first sliding the bootinto the sole clamping means and against th8: tO,&;;StO1I, and. then, tensioning the resilient cablaagainsh theaheel ofijthe boot. The cable fastener. o'perate'stotensionthe cable to hold" the bootjn such clamped uallygleleasedn.

Theggeneral object of the present invention is to: provide; a novel and improved adjustable cable fastenerfor the heel cableof-a ski binding of the type described. Other objects are to provide an inexpensive and rugged cable fastening and tensioning device which may easily and quickly be tightened and released in putting on and taking off the skis, and which may readily be adjusted to different lengths to apply-the proper cable tension on ski boots of different sizes without altering the length of the cable. Still other objectsare to provide an adjustable fastening device of the type described which is strong and position until it is man- 'positive in action,,which does not introduce any obstruction or impediment in the use of the skis,

and which is designed to avoid improper release in normal skiing. v

These and other objects will become-apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention. It is v In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a ski and ski boot illustrating a binding constructed in accordance with the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a plan view of the ski portion shown in Figure 1 with the boot removed therefrom;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view-of the cable fastener taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken 'on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the guar member for the cable fastener; and 1 Figure 6 is a side View with certain parts broke away of an alternative form of cable fastening device embodying the principles of the invention.

In the present construction the heel cable of the binding forms an endless loop having a rear portion engaging behind the-heel of the ski boot and a front portion arranged to be tensioned by an over-center clamping lever a short distance in front of the toe of the boot. A series of notches in an upstanding plate on the ski provides a plurality of fulcrum points for the pivot pin of the clamping lever in different positions to effect the proper cable tension for boots of different sizes without shortening or lengthening the cable. A flexible guard member covers the open ends of the notches to keep the pivot pin of the leverin the notch in which it is placed, but at the same time permitting the pin to be moved from one notch to another when desired. The clamping lever has a free end which may be raised to provide sufficient slack in the heel cable to release the ski boot from its sole clamps. When the clamping lever is pressed forwardly and downwardly against the top surface of the ski the heel cable is tensioned in accordance with the notch in which the pivot pin has been placed, which tension is directed in a lin below the center of the pin to hold the lever in locked position with its extremity bearing against the ski surface so as to present no projection which might cause its accidental release. 1

In Figure 1 the numeral Ill designates a portion of a ski having a boot I secured thereon by a ski binding of the type referred to hereinabove is general terms. Opposite sides of the sole of the boot in the present instance are provided with cleats [2 having rearwardly and upwardly sloping grooves l3. Adjustably attached to the ski are a pair of bracketarms 14 having short inwardly directed tongues l5 engageable in the grooves l3. These bracket arms have base portions on the ski with elongated slots for receiving screws IE to allow sufficient'adjustment of the bracket arms to accommodate the usual range of sizes of ski boots so that the cleats I2 will fit properly between the bracket arms with the tongues I5 holding the sole of the boot down firmly against the ski when the boot is in its proper position. The bracket arms are carefully adjusted on the screws Hi to allow the boot to twist off the ski to the right or left, and such adjustment is maintained by'small nails 19 to prevent the bracket arms from moving underthe screw heads. The arrangement of these parts is such that the ski boot may be fastened to the ski by merely sliding the boot forwardlyonthe. ski

between the bracket arms I4 until the toeof theboot engages a toe stop H, in which position the parts will be disposed as shown inFigure l with the tongues riding in mid portions of the grooves [3 to clamp the sole of the boot firmly against the top of the ski. Screws 18 provide sufficient mounting adjustment for the toe stop I! lto fit a particular ski boot.

The toe stop; I] differs from that shown in my; prior-Patent; above referred to in that I it comprises a single vertical or upstanding transverse stop: flange 40 having a continuous rigid connectionat A-I across-the forward edge of its horizontalbase portion 42-whichisattached to the skiin' the'manner described. The stop flange has a-horizontal- -curvature:andits upper edgehas a rearwardly curved lip 43 to engage over the sole of;:the boot, as shown; The present toe stop may be used as a sole-clamp withsuitable heel clamping; means 1to, constitutev the entire. ski binding, making.;the; side cleats IZ-and brackets l4 unnecessary for 1 ordinary skiing, whereas the side cleats and brackets must be used with the type of. open topgtoe'stop disclosed in my, prior patent. Either with or without the sidecleats and brackets; the; present; toe: stop affords an easy and quick-release in a fall because 'it does not confine theitoeiof .ithejiboot' as does the conventional strap type of toe. clamp. The; horizontal and vertical curvaturesi'of. the: stopifiange- 4U securely grip theboot. sole for ordinary. skiing but release it in :aisevere: twist to: prevent inj my to- 'thewearer. iniaifall.

The above: described; clamping, engagement is maintained: byza resilient cable 20 which passes through a. curved tubular spring: member 2| around theiheel of the'boot; it being,,.understood that the bootiheel is grooved .toiholdthe cable in the-positionshown:v Cableiguidesiz on opposite sides of theiskir dir'ecti theicablextension not only forwardlybutzals'o': downwardly to tend to hold the skiup'againstlthaheeliof theboot' when the foot-islifted, but the resilience ofLtheicabIe allows.

the boot heel 'to' raise iniwalking.movements.

The forward end of the:cable forms a bight' 23 trained through a curved guide sleeve 24 pivotally' mounted in the --cable -olamping lever 25; The

clcm'pingdever ZS terminates at its forward free end -ina -flat tongue 2 B-adapted to-lie-againstthe top of tlie'sk'i when the device is; clamped and to provide a finger piece for manipulating the lever to clamp orunclamp the c'abl'e. The"lever*25is of inverted channel shape having side flanges.

which carry the'sleeve ll and terminate in ax pairof side arms fl carrying a fulcrumpin 28 which 'forms a center of'rotation for the lever "in its clamping and unclamping movements as shown'inF-igurel; The-fulcrum pin 28 may beset inany one of a series of notches 30 at different plates-so of a rigid channel element] 3| secured zontartopkedges.52 fofiits "flange-plate 53. The.

to the top of the ski by a plurality oi screws 32, 33 and 34. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the notches 30 are formed on an inclined forward edge SI of the element 3|, with the side walls of these notches, which fulcrum the pivot pin 28, being inclined rearwardly'from the vertical so that the cable tension will maintain the pin seated in the bottom of the notch when the bindingfis clamped.

A spring metal guard -35 of the formshown in Figure 5 covers the open ends of the notches 3| to prevent casual displacement of the pivot pin 28 fromitsnotch when the binding is unclamped. This guardhas a hole 36 adapted to be secured under the head of screw 33, and an elongated slot 31 providing a degree of longitudinal adjustment for the other end of the guard under the head of the screw 34 whenthe guard is installed so that the guard-may thereafter be sprung up sufficiently to move the pin 28 from one notch to another without requiring the loosening ofany; ofthe screws;

In Figure 1 it will beseenthatthe pivot-pin 23' ispositioned in an intermediate'one of the notches 39:, the. clampedposition: of ;the. lever ,25 being shown in full: lines and the released position beingshown in broken lines; By virtue of the; fact that thecable guides 22jare positioned below the top surface Of 1- the. ski, the;;cable; tension securely holds ;the lever 2 5 in-overcenter position. with the tongue end ZG :bearing against the top of; the ski in clamped position regardless of whether the fulcrum; pin is moved to a lower or; alrigher notch. Inpclampedpositionthe tODVSLII'T'I face of the-tonguejfi; as, well as. 1711831301) surfaceof the main body portionof, the lever"; 25, ,forms a-smooth'ramp which cannot'become accidentally, caught and raised to release the-binding. When the clamping lever is raised through: the arc, 29- to, the; broken ,line. position; sufficient slack iS' produced iingtheycable 20 ,to permitatheboot heelto. become. disenga edgfromf the sprin member 2 l thereby ;to;permit the-release, of the. booty also fromthesolejclamps: v

The curved sleeve 24 i passes through openings. inthe. sideiflanges of:.;the lever. 25 to. -.provide a curvedrguidesand bearingv tors-the? cable 20 in the: lever to accommodate ,the r relative: twisting: mo-' tion: betwee'nzthe; cable-- and the: lever zwhenthe:

sion' QnoQp fiteEsideS; without slidingaround the: heel.

Figure 6' illustrates; annalternatexform of the cable clampingrdevicelwhereinztherchannel .mem hen-31a ,hasgitsinotches; 3marranged .1 in hori-;

whenthecdevice is clamped; and the; guard: 35a: prevents displacement ofsthe fulcrum pin28xfrom;

the slot in which: it has been-placed- The guard 3 52t maybe sprung upward to: move: the fulcrum:

pin' from one-' notch to another. in adj Stingthe" binding to :a-partiouljar boot-lengthf The other:

parts shown in Figure 6 corresponds t o thecm loodiment'- first described an'dbearthe same-reference numerals. V

It is; of'course, understood that the present cable fastener may be "used with other forms of T sole clamps as it isintendedfor use-with any binding having a 'resilientheel cable:

Ina fall; theskiers' bodyusuallynstarts'to roll-- over, while-the'--skles; because of their-length and" digging into the snow, are prevented from similarly rolling, resulting in a twisting of one or both of the skiers legs. Upon such an application of torque to the ski binding, the boot will pivot laterally about one or the other of the tongues I5, causing the other side of the boot to swing rearwardly sufficiently to disengage the groove l'3 from its tongue l5. Upon disengagement of one sole cleat from the corresponding bracket arm, the sole of the boot is free to shift laterally above that bracket arm and disengage the boot from the tongue l5 about which the pivotal movement occurred. The boot is thereby also free to disengage from toe stop ll, relieving the heel cable tension and detaching the boot from the ski.

In a forward fall, the boots tilt forwardly, pivoting about the toe portions and stretching the heel cables. Continuation of this movement lifts the boot up off the tongues I 5, owing to the downward slope of the grooves l3, and allows the toe to move out of engagement with the toe stop. The amount of force required to efiect such emergency automatic disengagement of the boots from the skis is regulated by adjusting the tension of the heel cables. Thus, the heel cables may be loosened to produce emergency release before the skier has completed his fall, or they may be tightened to delay the release until considerabe stress is developed.

The use of the present type of toe stop I! in a binding having heel tensioning means but no side cleats and brackets is disclosed and claimed in my continuation-in-p-art application, Serial No. 753,709, entitled ski Binding, filed June 10, 1947.

Various other changes in the construction and arrangement of parts will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such modifications within the scope of the appended claims are included in the invention.

Having now described my invention and in What manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shoe clamping device, an over-center pivotal lever for tensioning shoe engaging means, a channel shaped member having upstanding flanges and a series of notches in said flanges for pivotally mounting said lever in different positions to clamp shoes of different sizes, an elongated resilient guard extending suificiently closely over said notches and the pivotal mounting of said lever to hold said lever releasably in any selected notch against casual displacement, and means for securing the ends of said guard to said channel member beyond the ends-of said series of notches to provide flexibility in the portion of said guard over said notches for shifting said lever from one notch to another.

2. In a shoe binding, a pivotal over-center lever for tensioning the binding, an elongated member having a series of notches forming fulcrum points for said lever, and an elongated strip of spring metal extending over said notches to hold said lever in any selected notch, said strip having ends secured to said member at a distance from the end notches and having a flexible portion between said secured ends of greater length than said series of notches to release said lever from any one of said notches for shifting the lever to a different notch.

3. In a ski binding, a pivotal over-center lever for tensioning the binding, an elongated member having a series of notches forming fulcrum points for said lever, an elongated strip of spring metal extending over said notches to hold said lever in any selected notch, said strip having ends secured to said member at a distance from the end notches and having a flexible portion between said secured ends of greater length than said series of notches to release said lever from any one of said notches for shifting the lever toa different notch, means for adjusting the secured position of one end of said strip to vary the spring action of the strip, and a transverse curved sleeve pivotally mounted on said lever to receive a cable of the binding.

4. In a shoe binding, a pivotal over-center lever for tensioning the binding, an elongated member having a series of notches forming fulcrum points for said lever, an elongated strip of spring metal extending over said notches to hold said lever in any selected notch, said strip having ends fixedly secured to said member in fixed positions at a distance from the end notches and having a flexible portion between said secured ends to release said lever from any one of said notches for shifting the lever to a difierent notch, and means for making semi-permanent adjustment of the secured position of one end of said strip to hold said strip sufficiently close to said notches to require intentional manipulation of said lever to shift the lever out of any one of said notches and prevent casual shifting of the lever when the lever is operated to release the tension on the binding.

HOWARD JAN SEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,186,479 Elliott Jan. 9, 1940 2,289,459 Rydberg July 14, 1942 2,314,270 Elliott Mar. 16, 1943 2,338,249 Jansen Jan. 4, 1944 2,449,242 Millard Sept. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 136,678 Austria Feb. 26, 1934 704,057 Germany Mar. 21, 1941 816,294 France Apr. 26, 1937 845,670 France May 22, 1939 

